K: A Love Story of the Nonhuman

Qiu Yue Yemi often remembers what his mother told him when she was alive: "When people die, they become stars that shine in the sky."

"The people who are alive are stars shining on the ground. Though they're far apart, they still see each other every day and never forget one another."

Before Hozuki invited him to the underworld for tea, Qiu Yue Yemi truly believed those words. After visiting the underworld, he nearly burst into tears. As expected, not a single thing adults say is true. Parents in particular are more hateful than any lying demon.

One day, he sat on the rooftop railing, gazing at the stars and mourning the youth he'd lost. For some reason, the king he served spoke to him with uncharacteristic seriousness.

"Jump down from there."

"I'll catch you."

"Whether you're human or not, I'll hold you."

"I want you. Come to me."

Then, in a rush of impulse, he really did leap. His mismatched eyes clearly reflected the king's face.

For the first time, he realized that the figure reflected in those eyes was different from the one his other friends saw. It was the shape of a human being.

Beneath the night sky, they kissed each other without restraint, wanting only to merge their lives and become an indispensable part of one another.